Psychotactile Foundations - Wanaka

Course Description

'The Foundations of Psychotactile Therapy' is a five-day practical training for psychological professionals who want to introduce safe, attuned touch into their work with clients affected by trauma. Drawing on contemporary trauma research, somatosensory awareness and Gerry Pyves’ forty years of clinical experience, this training explores how touch may engage neural pathways associated with trauma processing, nervous system regulation and resilience. Participants will develop practical experience using structured, clothed therapeutic touch, including the three Primal Touch protocols of compression, rocking and stroking. The training also explores interoceptive and proprioceptive awareness, active and ambient trauma, ethical contracts for touch and the distinction between functional-neurobiological touch and social-intimate touch. Experiential learning, live demonstrations, reflective discussion and supervised practice help participants understand how touch may support safety, Adult here-and-now engagement, trauma discharge and the integration of implicit, non-verbal experience. This course is designed for psychologically qualified therapists who are willing to explore their own personal and historical patterns relating to touch, safety and respectful communication. Successful participants will receive TA Academy’s 40-hour Certificate of Competency in the Use of Primal Touch Protocols in the Treatment of Trauma. The course can stand alone for practitioners who want to introduce Primal Touch protocols into their clinical work. It is also Module I of the 124-hour Diploma in Psychotactile Therapy. Attendance at 'A Psychotactile Approach to Trauma' is required before enrolling in this course. Attendance at this workshop is a prerequisite for entry into TA Academy’s one-year, 124-hour Diploma in Psychotactile Therapy. Course Length: 5 days Session Times: Days 1 to 4: 9am to 7pm Day 5: 9am to 1pm